A Wild Week of Sea Animal Encounters

Sometimes you just wonder what they’re putting in the water. Monterey Bay Sailing, an ASA sailing school in Monterey, California, snapped this photo of an unusual passenger aboard one of their boats. That was just part of what has been a week of animals behaving, not badly exactly, but normally, only with humans in closer proximity than usual. Check out these three videos, all of which are startling and breathtaking in their own way.

First up: Orca whales in the Puget Sound decide to take a closer look at some people standing on shore. Luckily, somebody had their camera rolling.

The world’s whale population wasn’t done by a long shot. Here a surfer is minding her own business when a mighty humpback decides to come up for a snack.

And finally, perhaps the most astonishing animal encounter of them all–a flock of starlings. You must see this video to believe it.